sprechen
to speak
Present e changes to i in du and er/sie/es. The du imperative is sprich.
| Person | PresentPräsens | Simple pastPräteritum | PerfectPerfekt |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | spreche | sprach | habe gesprochen |
| du | sprichst | sprachst | hast gesprochen |
| er / sie / es | spricht | sprach | hat gesprochen |
| wir | sprechen | sprachen | haben gesprochen |
| ihr | sprecht | spracht | habt gesprochen |
| sie / Sie | sprechen | sprachen | haben gesprochen |
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways. Tap or focus a German form for its meaning.
Learn these together
sprechen · ich sprach · ich habe gesprochen
Using the table
The rows cover the six person/number patterns. Formal Sie uses the same verb form as plural sie, with its capital letter retained in a sentence. German Perfekt often translates naturally as an English simple past, so choose the meaning from context.
These are ordinary main-clause forms. A separable prefix stays joined with its verb in a verb-final subordinate clause. Modal verbs with another governed infinitive use the separate double-infinitive pattern rather than mechanically keeping the standalone perfect forms above.